


Day at the tailors

by Accidie



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Family Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Pre-Canon, Shopping, Young Arthur Morgan, Young Hosea Matthews, arthur getting upset over union suits
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:14:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26329972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Accidie/pseuds/Accidie
Summary: Shopping with Arthur, the teenager he and Dutch picked up from the streets a little over three months ago, proves to be a hellish experience for both of them.In which Hosea just wants to spoil his new kid and Arthur won't let him do that without a fight.
Relationships: Hosea Matthews & Arthur Morgan
Comments: 8
Kudos: 100





	Day at the tailors

Arthur would do well as a critic. That’s something Hosea is becoming increasingly aware of as he watches Arthur tear through the tailor’s store, always having something negative to say about whatever piece he looked at. 

Things not being practical being his most common complaint, the colors being too light or the fabrics being either too thin or too thick. 

Everything being expensive also being something he whined about, everything from the seven dollar boots Hosea practically had to force upon the boy, or the nappy, marked down socks costing a cent. 

Arthur seemed to think that anything more than zero dollars was money wasted on him, and even when they brought him stolen goods, he would find a way to object to that as well, as with the spurs Dutch stole for him just a week ago. ‘ _You didn’t need to do that,’_ he had said. _‘Besides, I think they would look better on you.’_

Their theory about the boy just having peculiar taste in clothes, and that the things they had gotten for him before just not being to his standards had died the moment he and Arthur set their foot in this store, though. 

It just seemed as the boy didn’t want them to get him anything at all, not even the clothes the boy obviously fancied. 

He had managed to get the boy to at least choose two pairs of pants, and three shirts. Some socks too, and the more that was added to their pile of garments to buy, the more annoyed the kid got. 

His annoyance clearly showing now, waving a union suit in front of him. 

“How are you even able to shit with this on?” the boy says, really sounding upset over the mere existence of it. 

“Take it off, I suppose,” Hosea says. “Or do you usually shit with your pants on?” 

“Sounds awfully inconvenient,” Arthur says, putting the suit down. “So you’re supposed to get naked every time you shit? What if some bounty hunter or somethin’ shows up? _‘Hello mister, can you give me a minute or so to get dressed? I_ _ain’t_ _gonna_ _go look for my guns in the pants over there, I promise.’_ and expect them not to bring you in buck naked?” Arthur shudders. “Nah, that ain’t for me.” 

“You don’t need to worry about bounty hunters yet, boy,” he decides to inspect the union suit himself. He knows Dutch wears one, always being the first to try new fads in clothing, even though he claimed to hate progress. “See,” he says with a laugh, showing it to Arthur. “It has a flap! You just open it and-” 

“God, that’s even worse,” Arthur says. 

“It looks comfortable, though,” Hosea says. “It’ll keep you warm. Dutch seems to like his.” 

“Dutch has one?” Of course, that would pique Arthur’s interest. “Well, I guess it doesn’t hurt trying one out.” 

“Good,” Hosea says. “Now we only need a coat for you, then we are settled.” 

“No,” Arthur says. 

“No?” 

“No. I’ll take your old one.” 

To think shopping for clothes could be such a hassle. Hosea takes a deep breath and counts to ten before continuing. 

“Arthur,” he says, careful not to sound too annoyed, “We can afford a new coat for you.” 

“But I don’t want a new one, I want yours.” 

Arthur has a determined expression on his face, the one he usually puts on when trying to act tough. 

“You’re not getting it.” 

“You said you was gonna get rid of it, why can’t I have it instead then?” 

Perhaps they just should have just let him stay back at camp and not involved him at all in this, as he seemed to be intent on making the whole shopping trip a hell for him. Arguing about shoes, arguing about the prices, and now not even accepting a darn winter coat. 

“It won’t fit you,” Hosea tries, and makes sure to really point out how ridiculous the idea is by gesturing towards Arthur’s lithe frame. “And it’s too thin for where we are going.” 

“Then I’ll just wear a whole heap of clothes underneath, if it doesn’t fit and I’m too cold.” 

“Arthur-” 

“Please, Hosea?” 

The pleading in his tone catches him off guard. 

“It ain’t that I don’t appreciate all you do for me,” Arthur continues, “But it’s too much sometimes. And I like your coat. ‘s a nice color and all, and it scratches less than new clothes.” 

“Scratches?” he echoes. 

“Yeah,” Arthur says, looking down at his feet as if he was embarrassed. “Against the skin, ya know?” 

Goddammit, the boy really did know how to look like a kicked puppy. 

He was gonna get an earful from Dutch as soon as they got back, the man enjoyed spoiling the kid even more than he did, but it’s hard to say no to Arthur when he’s like this, when he’s for once trying to be earnest. 

“Alright then,” Hosea says. “But if I catch you shivering even once out there, I’ll make sure all you ever get is new clothes. And I want you to pick out two more shirts so that Dutch won’t think I am being unkind to you.” 

“As if you ever could be unkind,” Arthur mutters, already going over to the shirt section, dragging his feet, acting like Hosea just had told him to shovel manure. “Ain’t it wiser if we don’t have so many clothes to pack, though? Easier to carry, I mean.” 

Casting a quick glance at the clock, had it really been an hour since they entered the store? Dutch was going to be in a bad mood, the man could be so clingy at times 

“I think the horses can carry five shirts, Arthur, now pick something out, will you?” 

Hosea didn’t know if it was pretend or not, Arthur’s repellence to anything expensive. It sure seemed like that at times, because while Arthur loved to scoff at the prices of the various items he looked at, Hosea couldn’t help but notice how Arthur always was drawn to the nicest of fabrics, he had seen the way he eyed the silken vests when they came in, 

“If you don’t fancy the idea of more shirts, grab one of them vests over there,” Hosea says. Arthur’s eyes light up momentarily, before turning into hesitance again. He can already hear the objections in his head, _‘Won’t the fabric snag?’, ‘_ _Ain’t_ _them too cold?’_ or the worst one _, ‘Seems like a waste of money’_ , as if any money spent on that boy ever would be a waste. This time he won’t let the boy argue, Hosea decides. He has already weaseled himself out of getting a proper coat. “Please, Arthur, we really need to get going soon.” 

“Alright then,” Arthur says with a dramatic sigh, “But I really don’t think-,” 

“No arguing. What color do you fancy?” Hosea interrupts. “Except for blacks and browns,” because the boy had tried that all day. “Don’t worry about stains, just pick a color.” 

“...White,” he says after a while. “I like the white one, I guess.” 

A surprising choice, the opposite of all the dull, murky colors he had tried to pick before. 

“White it is then,” Hosea says. “Why don’t you wait outside with Penny while I pay? Give her some peppermints.” 

“Sure.” 

He leaves with a bit lighter steps than before, no doubt relieved about the whole ordeal being over. 

Hosea is too. 

Shopping with a teenager sure was dreadful. 

**Author's Note:**

> i just wanted to write something cheerful, too many angsty wips in the works. 
> 
> also spoiler: arthur definitely wants hosea's old coat because he uses it as a blanket when he's sad 
> 
> anyways I hope you enjoyed it!! please let me know if you did!


End file.
